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Manor Brewery

The Manor Brewery was built on land at the rear of Manor House c1847 by the wealthy brewer John Platt junior (born c1801). Prior to this (1841 census) he had lived at Willow Lodge in Bridge Street, and was recorded as "Brewer, employing 20 men", and using the adjacent malthouse.

The first evidence of John Platt at Manor House was the 1847 Commoners List where he is listed as owner and occupant. The Kelly Directory of the same year records him as "brewer, maltster, wine, spirit and hop merchant". John Platt was an effective businessman, and by 1861 he is recorded in the census as aged 50 years, with 290 acres, employing 9 men and 3 boys.

The large brewery building came to supply many of the towns inns and alehouses.

Manor Brewery was owned by John Platt between 1847 and 1882. At some stage, Mr B Farmer was a partner. The Berkshire Chronicle of Sat 31 Jan 1880 records "Sudden death of Mr B Farmer. - On Monday last a telegram was received in Hungerford to the effect that Mr B Farmer had suddenly died on that morning. Mr Farmer was formerly a partner in the firm of Platt and Farmer in the Hungerford Brewery. His death will be regretter by his circle of acquaintances."

After 1882 it was owned by John Platt junior, who decided to sell the Manor Brewery in 1893.

South Berks was taken over by H & G Simonds of 32 Bridge Street Reading in Oct 1920. In turn, Simonds was taken over by Courage Barclay & Co of London in 1960. [Info in T/S booklet by Alan Gull, 22 Stonefield Drive, Stoneclough, Radcliffe, M/C M26 9HA]

The large brewery building became used for the Hungerford Sanitary Laundry Co. Ltd, established c1908.

Some of the buildings were used by the James family millers for the production of feeding stuff and seeds during the First World War. In 1918 the main focus was on Game food manufacture, and the business moved to the newly built Great Western Mills in Church Street in 1932.

The laundry closed in December 1966 after several changes of ownership, having been renamed The Rose of Hungerford Laundry in the 1950s.

Somerfield supermarket (later Tesco) and car-park was built on the site in 1999.

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